


The Radiance of Shadow

by QuenchiestCactusJuice99



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Naruto
Genre: Father’s Horrible Mock-Parenting, Genma has no idea what’s happening, Human!Pride, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Konoha is not prepared, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pride has to spill some fucked up shit :p, Reincarnation(?), Swearing, but this smol Nara bastard’s shadows have TEETH, our boi pride has to deal w/being human, talk of parents killing their kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:34:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24082924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuenchiestCactusJuice99/pseuds/QuenchiestCactusJuice99
Summary: It is, Genma thinks grimly, a good thing that this particular situation hadn’t escalated in the short time it took Konoha to respond to the town’s missive.It’s also a crying shame that no Nara were sent along. The problem at first appears to be a mass ofteethed shadowsin the back of the orphanage play room. It’s actually so much more complicated.At the center of the shadows, there is a boy.
Comments: 74
Kudos: 243





	1. darkness emanates from light

**Author's Note:**

> /aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
> 
> I have so many wips I should be working on. I’m so sorry. Why am I writing new things. Brain. Why

It’s hard to breathe.

It’s hard, Pride corrects himself, to  _ remember _ to breathe, curled up in his shadows, in darkness, and the only reason he remembers to is his shadows’ teeth. Splashes of white to disrupt what would be horribly reminiscent of the  _ nothing _ before he was here, after he-

Died. 

He wasn’t supposed to die. He was  _ never _ supposed to die, he- he’s  _ Pride. _

That should count for something; the Elric brothers were never anything other than  _ human, _ and what gives them the  _ right? _

Pride is alive, and this is good, except that it’s  _ wrong, _ even when it’s wrong that he died at all.

It’s… confusing. It has been since the beginning.

He’s lived  _ too long _ in the human body of an infant,  _ growing _ like he shouldn’t, because he  _ isn’t  _ human.

(Except he is now, and is this supposed to be his punishment? His just torment for flying too close to the sun? Everyone has heard the myth of the boy with the wax wings, and it is a cautionary tale on  _ pride. _ That if you fly too high - become too  _ prideful _ \- your wings melt, and you fall.

Everyone has heard the myth of the boy with the wax wings, and  _ oh,  _ but how Pride has fallen.)

This is the first time his shadows have answered when he called, and he sits in darkness he has sorely missed and is still exceedingly wary of, and he revels.

He revels in the fear of the children and the caretakers, and he does not let his shadows dissolve for anything.

(They have already left him once.)

He does not let the shadows open their eyes. They remind him too much of where he came from -  _ Father, _ and Pride cannot help but burn at the very thought of him.

How many times had Pride put aside his opinions and followed without complaint? How many times had he swallowed back criticisms because he wanted to remain himself, instead of being put back to Father’s bloodstream and pulled out someone else?

All for a plan doomed to failure from the very  _ start. _ He is a living gijinka, but for all that he is his Father’s pride,  _ Father _ had never had any shortage.

… there are new people here. 

Pride sucks in another breath at the reminder that he is no longer in Amestris, no longer in the nothingness between worlds, and his lungs burn in his tiny human chest.

One of the new people looks very plain, but he is a half-step in front of the others, and Pride has played the wide-eyed child enough times to recognize that for what it is.

This is the leader. Of what, Pride doesn’t know yet.

One of the caretakers is talking. “-been this way for eight hours at least, unresponsive, he won’t talk-“

The plain-looking leader nods, a friendly thing, and just asks, “What was his name again?”

And his eyes are on Pride the whole time.

Out of curiosity, Pride makes the shadows move, and a set of teeth or two to stretch wider.

The man doesn’t so much as twitch.

The caretaker mumbles, “Hikaru.”

At that, the man does twitch. In fact, he laughs, though he smothers it almost too fast for it to count.

It is a point in his favor, Pride decides magnanimously, that it is completely genuine.

_ Hikaru. _ The first characters they’d taught him here were his name, and it is utterly ridiculous.  _ Radiance,  _ perhaps it’s translated, because Pride certainly hadn’t paid enough attention to remember anything besides the cheery connotations.

The man strides forward without a hint of hesitation, whistling as if impressed, and he crouches just a little way from Pride.

“Hey there, kid. This is quite the ability, yeah?”

Pride  _ likes _ this man, with his quick tongue and easy smile and clever eyes. He cannot spot a single crack.

(Father had never bothered with acting. Disregarded it as unneeded, but Pride has always taken unironic pride in his acts - his play-pretend. Perhaps, it was his bit of real childhood.)

“I’m Genma,” The man continues, almost musing, “Shiranui Genma. I hear you’re Hikaru. Heck of a name for a kid like you, huh?”

And Pride truly already likes this man - this  _ Genma  _ \- so he answers with a shrug. He wants to see where this is going.

Genma gives him a soft grin, looking quite pleased with himself. “Hikaru, do you remember your family?”

What.

Pride forgets himself for a moment, in the whisper-hiss of shadow, and recoils harshly. Genma’s eyes sharpen.

That… was unexpected. What is this? What does his- ‘family’ have to do with anything?

Suddenly, Pride is not so very sure he likes Genma at all.

_ “Why?” _ He demands, and his shadows echo, amplify his voice. His tiny, high-pitched,  _ childish _ voice.

(The caretaker has a hand clenched over her mouth and she looks  _ horrified.) _

Genma says nothing for what can be no longer than a few moments, but Pride feels the time itch at him. “Just wondering how adverse you’d be,” He’s back to musing, “To learning that you have family elsewhere.”

There is a snort of disbelief heavy on Pride’s tongue, but he swallows it back when he remembers that he is no longer a homunculus. That… this human body could certainly have a family.

Hmm.

How adverse  _ is _ he to that?

H m m.

“What kind of family?” He asks, and his shadows still echo and the caretaker is still deathly pale, but she looks - and it takes him a moment to identify the emotion - sad.

Sorrow. How very…  _ human. _

(Like him.)

Genma says quietly, “A very big one. A whole clan.”

That’s an unfamiliar word;  _ clan. _ Pride would almost say outdated, but he’s heard the whispers of the feared  _ shinobi, _ sometimes seen them walking through parted crowds on the streets, and  _ clan _ is not so bad compared to  _ samurai. _

A whole clan.

Whisper-fast, a- not  _ fear, _ a- a concern sprouts in the back of Pride’s mind. “My… parents,” He sounds out, words foreign in his mouth, “Won’t be there.” It’s not a question. He doesn’t make it one.

He does look to Genma to see if he’s right.

(He… doesn’t want to go back to pretending to love someone. It’s horribly exhausting work, to not only play a child, but one fully devoted to his parents.

He doesn’t want to pretend  _ that _ particular part anymore.)

Slowly, carefully, Genma tells him, “I can’t say they will be.”

Pride catches a glimpse of white teeth, and remembers to breathe.

“How about it?” Genma’s easy grin is back. “Wanna head home?”

Home? In this unfamiliar world? Away from all Pride has ever known, away from his previous life?

(His previous  _ non- _ life?)

Home.

Father is not here. Greed is not here. Lust is not here. Gluttony, Envy, Wrath, Sloth - none of them are here. Not to see him, or judge him; they simply aren’t.

How long has it been, since he has been honest in calling a place home?

Has he ever?

Pride breathes, and murmurs, “I’d like that, yes.”

(For the first time in eight and a half hours, his shadows shrink down to his feet, swift flashes of white teeth the only hint to their abnormality.)


	2. family, home, and all the things i’ve never had

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> h e l l y e a h
> 
> Ahem- chapter 2!!! Yes!!! Hope u enjoy!

The little town they’d found Hikaru in had been… almost unbelievably quaint. It’s four hours away at about half Genma’s max speed, but his two partners are chunin grabbed right as they were coming in from a mission, so the pace is probably just the wrong side of taxing for them.

It’s why Genma volunteered to hold Hikaru. Even so, three and a half hours back his partners are starting to slow, and Hikaru himself is clearly intensely uncomfortable with how fast they’re going, if how his grip tightens every time Genma jumps is any indication.

When Genma sets him down to walk the rest of the way to Konoha so his partners can recover, Hikaru starts skipping.

Genma… isn’t sure why that’s such a surprise. The shadows were creepy to say the least, but their talk had really driven home that Hikaru  _ is _ a child.

His serious manner of speech aside, the look on his face when Genma had tried to make a quick call on whether the clan info would be badly received…

Hikaru, learning he had more more family - he’d been caught in disbelief, before he’d actually considered the idea.

“ _ What kind of family?” _

God, but Genma is so soft for kids. This was  _ such _ a bad mission for him, he’s already attached. Dammit. This is  _ exactly _ what happened with Kotetsu and Izumo, and then Iruka.

_ Well… _ Genma thinks of the teeth and freaky echo that might’ve been coming  _ from _ the teeth,  _ maybe not  _ exactly _ what happened. _

But that look on Hikaru’s face - when Genma had asked if he wanted to go home -  _ that _ had been the same.

And hell, it breaks him every time.

But even then, Hikaru had just stood, considered the play room, picked up the stuffed dog next to his foot that had been obscured by the shadows, and asked when they were leaving.

So… it’s still surprising when Hikaru starts skipping, humming something under his breath. The stuffed dog is tucked into a ratty satchel barely big enough for it, that bounces against the boy’s hip as he goes.

One of Genma’s partners - Kenta, he thinks he heard one of the other chunin call him, Kenta Momaru? - chokes, and Genma looks over in concern.

He wouldn’t be sent out if he had untreated injuries, right?

Kenta (Masaru, maybe) gestures panicky-like to Hikaru, and it takes Genma a second switch his attention from searching Kenta (Makita..?) for injuries to registering that Hikaru is humming the words to the song he doesn’t remember. It’s easy to tell he doesn’t remember it, because he’s muttering the words he does know and just humming the rest. Except, the words he knows… 

“~and he said fuck you, that’s mine,~” The kid sings, kinda wobbly but it’s stupid cute for the highly age-inappropriate lyrics coming out of his mouth. “~get your own shit, ‘fore I rip out your spine,~”

The other squad member Genma doesn’t actually know the name of manages a strangled, “Hikaru-!”

And the boy swings around, all innocent as can be, walking backwards and regarding them curiously. “Yes?”

“You-  _ where _ did you learn that song?”

Hikaru tilts his head. “My brother made it up.” And there’s an inkling of hesitation in his eyes, if not his voice. “E- our other sibling kept trying to take his things before he left. He was quite possessive of his belongings, so it didn’t take long to rile him up.”

_ So he remembers more than just a little, _ Genma thinks, not sure what to feel about that. And he hates to pry at old wounds, but Hikaru’s undoubtedly a Nara bastard and that’s dangerous if the Nara actually  _ stayed. _

“Your brother left?”

Hikaru nods, spinning back around. “I think he got tired of father.” And there’s something weird in his tone, but Genma can’t see his eyes anymore and that’s mostly, he’s noticed, where Hikaru’s real emotion shines through.

They all walk in silence for just a few minutes before Hikaru is humming again.

The nameless squadmate looks like he’d rather Hikaru not.

—

Genma can’t help but crack a smile when Hikaru stops dead in his tracks at the sight of Konoha’s Southern Gate. It’s always fun, seeing newcomers’ reactions, and Genma is sadly deprived of it since civilian escorts are mostly genin to chunin level missions.

Kenta (Motaro? Genma  _ swears _ it starts with an m) is grinning too, and even the nameless squadmate’s lips are twitching.

“My… family,” Hikaru says quietly. “They live here?”

Genma keeps his tone smooth. “They do. You excited?”

Hikaru doesn’t visibly hesitate, but his response is slightly delayed. “Mm.” And Genma doesn’t know whether that’s a good or bad thing, but figures it’s pretty much the Nara clan’s problem at this point.

…

_ Who the hell am I even kidding, _ Genma thinks.  _ Now I’m worried. _

One of the Sourthern Gate guards waves as they near.

“Yaku!” She calls. “Good to see you back in town!”

For a half-heartbeat Genma thinks she’s talking to the nameless squadmate, before Kenta steps forward with a wide smirk. “Good to be back,” He crows, “How’s my niece, huh? You didn’t break her while I was gone or anything?”

The guard snorts. “As  _ if. _ I’m not stupid.”

“We were on a genin team for four years, that’s debatable.”

Genma silently mouthes  _ Yaku _ to himself in utter bewilderment as the guard makes an outraged cry. That... did not start with an m.

The other guard waves them through, rolling his eyes, while Yaku bickers with his genin teammate. 

Hikaru has a strange look on his face. The nameless squadmate pats his head in a move far braver than what Genma would attempt, but he’s not immediately swarmed by shadow. “They’re old friends,” He tells Hikaru.

The kid frowns. “Then why are they arguing?”

“They’re just teasing,” Genma cuts in. “They look like they’ll be busy for a bit though, so…” He casts a look around and raises a hand to the other guard. “Let Kenta know he’s free to debrief whenever, we can take it from here.” After a moment, he nods to the nameless squadmate. “You can head out too.”

Getting a nod in return, Genma begins sheparding Hikaru towards the Hokage Tower. The lobby isn’t especially crowded, but not exactly deserted either - Genma taps the shoulder of a passing genin runner and keeps his request a simple, “Nara Shikaku, Hokage‘s office. Soon as you’re free.”

Hikaru throws him a wary look he probably thinks Genma doesn’t catch.

Yeah, Genma is  _ really _ hoping Hikaru doesn’t clash with the Nara Clan Head, because despite the shadows, Hikaru is… decidedly unlike any other Nara Genma’s ever met.

_ Well, _ he thinks, knocking on the door to the Hokage’s office,  _ at least Hikaru’s got a cute face. And if all else fails… _

Genma thinks about his apartment, already jam packed whenever Raidou, Kotetsu, Izumo and Iruka stay over, and holds back a groan.  _ If all else fails, I’ll take the kid. _

—

“Wait here,” Genma says. He hesitates. “This might take a while, so feel free to sit down.”

After he disappears into the room, there are three seconds where Pride considers eavesdropping before discarding the idea. His control over his shadows has begun to slip, and it’s not worth the risk that Genma or his apparent Fuhrer-equivalent will notice.

Besides, he’s tired.

About five stifled yawns later, a man comes hiking up the stairs like it’s the most difficult thing he’s ever done, or perhaps, like his feet are encased in cement blocks. Maybe both.

_ Interesting scars, _ Pride thinks, but isn’t stupid enough to say. His brain takes that as a cue for another yawn.

If possible, the dread in the man’s posture seems to have doubled. “Hey, kid,” He says. “Who’s in there right now?”

Pride shrugs.

The man heaves a sigh, spares the door a glower, as if it were the root of all his problems, and walks in without knocking.

It’s barely three minutes later that Genma pokes his head out and says, “Come on in, Hikaru.”

_ Ah, _ Pride thinks as he stares at the old man,  _ I’ll have to be careful of him. _ A curious glance about the room shows that he’ll need his guard up around the scarred one as well - the dread has been swapped out for sharp calculation.

Or, well. Not swapped, per se, because there’s still copious amounts of dread. But the point stands.

The old man wears Wrath’s benevolent mask like a second skin. “Hikaru-kun,” He begins, “I understand that this might be a difficult transition for you.”

He pauses, and  _ oh, _ thinks Pride,  _ I’m supposed to say something. _ He has a few focuses to choose from.

The Child: naive, innocent. Simply wanting to meet his family.

Paranoia: what they want from him, where he’s going, what’s so special about his shadows anyway, that shinobi come fetch him with haste.

Understanding: agreeable, mostly unconcerned about where he’s staying, but wary of why his shadows are such a big deal.

Except… Pride wants to carry as few acts as possible in front of the old man to avoid getting caught out, and that limits what he can pretend for Genma and the scarred man.

Ugh. He  _ hates _ being backed into a corner. Minimal truth-stretching it is.

“Not terribly,” He answers.

The old man quirks an eyebrow but continues. “You’re here, Hikaru-kun, because one of your parents was a Nara. Do you know if it was your mother or father?”

Suddenly, the air feels… humid. Oppressive, a bit. “I don’t have a mother,” Pride says woodenly, but it’s like he’s listening to himself from a distance.

(The shadows under his feet swell and he jerks them back, but not before all three men in the room notice. Pride takes a second to breathe.)

“You’ve got siblings, don’t you?” Genma nudges, and scowls a little at the old man.

Pride nods numbly. “There were seven of us.” The sensation is lessening, now.

The old man asks, “Where are the others?”

“Dead,” Pride mutters, and chokes down the  _ so was I _ that wants to follow. What’s wrong with him? He wants to tell truth in  _ parts, _ not everything.

Genma frowns. “But I thought you said your brother left.”

_ There we go, _ Pride thinks, and shoves his hands in his pockets, dropping his gaze to the floor. “He did. But he came back.”

“And?” The scarred man prompts.

Time to really begin the act, then. He takes a second to think of a time he truly felt loss, gets an unexpected amount from when Greed left the first time, and grabs onto it. 

Eyes still on the floor - Pride is well aware of how quickly his eyes will give away the game if he isn’t perfectly controlling of them - he grasps that feeling and makes his voice as small and quiet and broken as he can possibly manage. “And Father killed him.”

Pride can’t see their reactions, but he doesn’t need to. He doesn’t dare lift his face until he doesn’t need to be so cautious with his expressions.

Genma blurts,  _ “Why?” _ And the scarred man twitches. Maybe he sent Genma a glare. Kind of hypocritical; they both have questions.

Ah, but Pride is a  _ child. _ Emotionally fragile.

He toes the ground.  _ How to put it…  _ “Because my brother’s friends tried to kill Father.”

Now, if his siblings are dead, he has no mother, and his father killed at least one of his siblings, how is Pride alive? “They succeeded. Eventually.”

There.  _ The best lie, _ Pride thinks,  _ is the one you don’t even have to tell. You give the truth - or pieces of it - and let them draw their own conclusions. You let them lie to themselves. _

“I think that’s enough,” The old man says kindly. “I hope you know we didn’t bring you here simply for questions.”

Pride bobs his head. “I’m here because I’ve got- family here.” The hesitation when his tongue trips on  _ family _ isn’t faked, but Pride is quick and knows how much play-pretend can be helped along by real reactions and emotions.

No matter how annoying. He can take it two ways - desperate for family, or afraid of it. He’s not the best at faking fear, though, and desperation is difficult because of the sheer energy needed for it.

How to play this… ah. Cautious of family. It’s ‘new’. The one he had seems to have torn itself apart and now he’s all alone. He ‘cannot decide’, if he wants it or doesn’t.

Caution is easy. It’s familiar.

(It’s what he employed around Father, to a small extent.)

“That’s correct.” Pride looks up carefully, and the old man smiles warmly. “You have quite a large family here. In fact, this is your Clan Head, Nara Shikaku.” He gestures to the scarred man with his pipe.

_ That’s… not ideal. _

Shikaku mumbles, “Nara Hikaru,” and then huffs in equal parts amusement and exasperation. “He can stay with me tonight; Yoshino would have my hide if I put him up with anyone else. We’ll find someone willing to house him more permanently tomorrow.”

The old man nods. “Dismissed.”

And Pride thinks,  _ of course. Of course the sharp one is the Clan Head. Of course I have to stay with him. Why not? This clearly wasn’t hard enough already. _

He wonders if the being on the other side of the Gate is laughing.

Probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pride: -forgets to breathe- stupid useless human lungs, always hurting ‘cause they’re useless and stupid
> 
> Pride: haha look I can act like Father mentally and emotionally damaged me so these humans will let their guard down  
> Pride: ……… totally…… an act….. for the humans

**Author's Note:**

> Tada!!! uwu I live off of comments so lemme know what you thought if you’ve got the time


End file.
